When the sun dips below the horizon and the winds of Lal Hadaf grow still, the Ghost Orchid blooms. Its delicate pink petals, almost translucent in appearance, emit a cold, ethereal light. The flower’s glow is faint, like the dying embers of a long-forgotten flame, but at night, these fields of orchids cast a ghostly glow across the mountains, illuminating the battlefields where countless lives were once lost.
This bioluminescent plant has earned a sinister reputation for its macabre beauty, found often flourishing in the aftermaths of bloody battles. The Ghost Orchid is a parasite, feeding off the bodies of the fallen and, disturbingly, sometimes attaching itself to the still living.
The Ghost Orchid latches onto the flesh of the dead, quickly taking root and drawing nutrients from the decaying tissue. However, the true horror of the flower lies in its ability to attach to the still-living. Once embedded in a living host, its tendrils burrow deep into the body, slowly reaching the nervous system. Those unlucky enough to be touched by the orchid find themselves trapped in a dreamlike state, where the line between life and death blurs. Within this trance, they relive their final moments of battle, experiencing an illusion of victory, peace, or escape from the horrors of war.
But the orchids’ true effect is not mercy. As the living become entranced, their bodies are slowly consumed, and their last moments are spent within the twisted reality the Ghost Orchid weaves for them. The flower feeds on their despair and loss, thriving in the aftermath of human suffering.
On moonless nights, entire battlefields glow with the light of countless Ghost Orchids, their pale petals swaying in the wind like spectral figures. These fields are known as Ghost Meadows, where the dead and dying are intertwined with the flowers, creating a nightmarish beauty that attracts the brave and foolish alike. Many legends speak of soldiers who venture into the Ghost Meadows, only to be lost in the orchid’s light, their minds stolen by the alluring glow, never to return.
Some say the Ghost Orchids are the spirits of the dead, taking root in the earth, while others believe the flowers are a curse born from the violence of the land. Regardless, the Ghost Orchid has become a symbol of Lal Hadaf—a reminder that even in death, the planet denies you peace.
This entry is a collab between Asil and Artnoob100.